kosher

1 of 5

adjective

ko·​sher ˈkō-shər 

1

a

: sanctioned by Jewish law

especially : ritually fit for use

kosher meat

b

: selling or serving food ritually fit according to Jewish law

a kosher restaurant

2

: being proper, acceptable, or satisfactory

is the deal kosher?

kosher

2 of 5

verb

koshered; koshering ˈkō-sh(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to make kosher

kosher

3 of 5

noun

: the observance of kosher practices

keep kosher

kasher

4 of 5

variant of kosher:1

kasher

5 of 5

transitive verb

ka·​sher

käˈshe(ə)r, 

-eə

variants or kosher

ˈkōshə(r)

-ed/-ing/-s

: to make (meat or utensils) kosher for use according to Jewish law

Examples of kosher in a Sentence

Adjective

Something about this deal is just not kosher.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The standout dining location for me is Piccolo, the island's only kosher restaurant. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026

The professor said the event was disrespectful to Jews because pork is not kosher, and the event fell on Sukkot, a major Jewish holiday, as well as Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026

Perception set up a dummy news site and created fake social-media accounts highlighting the tournament’s amenities, which included kosher food in stadiums. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain and immediately season with kosher salt. — Alexia Duchêne, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Yiddish, from Hebrew kāshēr fit, proper

Transitive verb

kasher from Hebrew kāshēr to make kosher; kosher from Yiddish, noun, kosher, from Hebrew kāshēr kosher, fit, proper

First Known Use

Adjective

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1871, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1886, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kosher

• glatt kosher
• keep kosher

Rhymes for kosher

• gaucher

Kids Definition

kosher

adjective

ko·​sher

ˈkō-shər

1

a

: accepted by Jewish law

especially : ritually fit for use

kosher meat

b

: selling or serving food ritually fit according to Jewish law

a kosher restaurant

2

: proper sense 4

made sure the deal was kosher